Sunny's Story

Harry B. "Sunny" Mooney, III is a perfect example of why it's so very important to know your family health history and, be body-conscience, and become familiar with heart attack and stroke warning signs. Especially if cardiac issues are part of your family's history.

"I'd just finished playing basketball at the Eastside Center in East Peoria," Sunny remembers. "Played for about an hour and a half. And as I was heading outside to the parking lot I could feel what I thought was a muscle spasm between my shoulder blades."

For most of us, a muscle spasm after almost two hours of basketball might be expected. But between knowledge, being sensitive to his body, "and divine intervention," said Sunny, he knew differently.

"I began to feel weak. I started to feel nauseous," said Sunny. "One of the guys I was playing ball with is married to a doctor. They were there, as was the Eastside Center staff. I couldn't have been in better hands."

A call was made to 911 and EMTs were there immediately. Four low dose aspirins and two nitros later, I was in the Emergency Department at Methodist. "The first responders did a wonderful job," said Sunny. "I can't thank them enough."

What happened next was nothing short of mind-boggling. "The ER team at Methodist was waiting for me. Upon arrival I was taken care of immediately. And within 40 minutes of my arrival I was in the cardiac cath lab and had three stents inserted. It's crazy . my first symptoms occurred around 11:00 a.m. and a little after 1:00 p.m. I was heading to ICU."

"From the first responders to the medical teams in the ER, cath lab, and intensive care unit, everyone was on their game," said Sunny. "And at the same time, everyone was friendly and helped me feel relaxed and comfortable."

"A member of my church, who is a nurse, saw the heart cath photo of my blockages said that I shouldn't be alive. Everyone at UnityPoint Health - Methodist played their part in a truly miraculous situation. I remember seeing a sign in my room that said something about best outcome for every patient every time. And honestly I could feel that happening around me. I could feel everyone working toward that goal."

From open-heart surgery and cardiac rehabilitation to vascular disease prevention and heart care, the heart care team at Methodist is here to ensure the best possible outcomes. That is one of the reasons why Methodist continues to achieve the highest patient satisfaction scores both in Peoria and across Central Illinois. Comprehensive cardiovascular services include advanced diagnostic services to detect cardiovascular disease early, minimally invasive heart procedures for faster recovery and the most experienced and advanced open-heart surgery program in the region.

Working with Methodist | Proctor Emergency departments, experienced cardiovascular surgical teams are prepared to quickly open a blocked artery well below standard of care, which is 90 minutes of your arrival at the hospital. Research has shown that this ensures the best possible patient outcome and in some cases may even prevent a heart attack.

"From the first responders to the medical teams in the ER, cath lab, and intensive care unit, everyone was on their game."